1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic element wafer module, an electronic wafer module, a sensor wafer module, a sensor module and a manufacturing method of the sensor module, a lens array plate, and an electronic information device. The electronic element wafer module is formed by modularizing (integrating) a plurality of lenses for focusing incident light and an image capturing element that corresponds to each lens and has a plurality of light receiving sections for performing photoelectric conversions on and capturing image light from a subject, or by modularizing (integrating) a plurality of optical function elements for advancing outgoing light straight, and bending and guiding incident light in a predetermined direction, with an emission element for corresponding to each optical function element and generating outgoing light, and a light receiving element for receiving incident light. The electronic element module is manufactured by cutting the electronic element wafer module. The sensor wafer module is formed by modularizing (integrating) the image capturing element having a plurality of light receiving sections for performing photoelectric conversions on and capturing image light from a subject, and a lens for forming incident light into an image on an image capturing element. The sensor module is formed by cutting the sensor wafer module. The lens array plate is used for the sensor module. The electronic information device includes, for example, a digital camera (e.g., digital video camera and digital still camera), an image input camera (e.g., car-mounted camera), a scanner, a facsimile machine, a camera-equipped cell phone device, and a personal digital assistant (PDA) having the sensor module as an image input device used in an image capturing section, or a pickup apparatus using the electronic element module in an information recording and reproducing section.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional sensor module of this type, which functions as an electronic element module, is used for a camera equipped cellular phone device and a personal digital assistant (PDA), and further a card camera and the like, as a camera module. Such a sensor module is provided with a solid-state image capturing chip and a holder member. The solid-state image capturing chip has an image capturing element, which functions as an electronic element, having a plurality of light receiving sections, for performing photoelectric conversions on and capturing image light from a subject, and the holder member for fixing a focusing lens for forming incident light into an image on an image capturing element, both of which are provided on a mount substrate, composed of ceramics, glass containing epoxy resin, and the like. In such a case, the solid-state image capturing chip is positioned on the mount substrate and wire bonding is performed. In addition, it is important to accurately fix the image-forming distance between the focusing lens and the image capturing element to precisely form incident light into an image on the image capturing element, so that a clear image can be obtained.
Next, US patent Reference 1 proposes a practical example of a conventional electronic element module 100 as illustrated in FIG. 19. The electronic element module 100 is configured as a pickup apparatus. A mount substrate 102 mounts an optical electronic element 101, which is an emission element as well as a light receiving element, then a spacer substrate 103 for securing a space is laminated on the mount substrate 102, and a seal substrate 105 provided with an optical function element 104 is successively laminated on the spacer substrate 103. The optical electronic element 101 has a configuration in which a wiring contact 106 is pulled out to the outside of the seal. The spacer substrate 103 has a form that includes a slope surface 107 inside. The slope surface 107 is coated with a reflection film. The optical function element 104 has an optical function such as outputting light from an emission element straight to the outside, and bending and guiding reflecting light that includes information from an optical disc and the like. A plurality of electronic element modules 100 can be manufactured at once by cutting the electronic element wafer module, in which the mount substrate 102, the spacer substrate 103, and the seal substrate 105 are laminated.
In addition, according to US patent Reference 2, as illustrated in FIG. 20, a base substrate 204 having a lens 203 formed thereon is aligned above a base substrate 202 having a lens 201 formed thereon, and the base substrate 204 and the base substrate 202 are vertically laminated and adhered by a adhesion layer 205 to form a multistage lens module 200 integratedly. In addition, according to US patent Reference 3, as illustrated in FIG. 21, a base substrate 304 is aligned via a spacer 303 above a base substrate 302 having a plurality of lenses 301 formed thereon, and the base substrate 304 and the base substrate 302 are vertically laminated and adhered with a adhesion resin to form a lens module 300 integratedly. US patent Reference 3 proposes a method for cutting this integrated lens module 300 at a cut position 305 so as to manufacture each lens module at once.
According to Reference 4, a plurality of glass optical elements (lenses) include a lens section that is formed by press molding softened glass with an upper mold and a lower mold, a tubular leg section curved and extended downwards from its circumference edge of the lens section at the press molding, and a flat plate section curved outwardly and extended horizontally from the tubular leg section, for coupling with another tubular leg section of a lens section. A sheet member, in which the plurality of glass optical elements are integrated, is adhered to a cover glass on a substrate having a plurality of image sensors provided thereon in such a manner that each image sensor corresponds to each lens section. Such a sheet member is cut for each image sensor.
According to Non-patent Reference 1, it is disclosed that a through hole is provided in a silicon wafer and a wafer front surface and a wafer back surface are electrically connected to each other via the through hole.
Reference 1: U.S. Pat. No. 7,224,856 B2 (FIG. 1)
Reference 2: U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,430
Reference 3: U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,155
Reference 4: Japanese Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-277085
Non-patent Reference 1: the 2004 International Conference on Solid State Devices and Materials, Tokyo, 2004, pp. 276-277 “Application of Hight Reliable Silicon Thru-Via to Image Sensor CSP”